French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
Connected Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just send back migrants to French territory
- French government withdrawing from commitment to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
